The List: 29 Apr 2004 (Issue 493)

TR'PTYCH anniversary in the business. But it’s the DR RPBERT.MOOG . . analogue synths in their myriad of forms that Queen 8 Hall’ Edmburgh’ F" 30 Apr’ Tramway’ Moog is most famous for, something which Glasgow, Sun 2 May 0

came as a complete surprise to the man OK, so the man who invented the synthesiser - himself. and in the process completely transformed the ‘When I started I was just interested in giving face of modern music - is in town. It’s probably one particular composer some new resources time to get excited. Meet Dr Robert Moog, or for making sounds electronically,’ he says. just plain Bob as he prefers. The man ‘Once I did that other composers were pronounces his surname ‘Moag’, by the way, interested and that spurred me on. But I didn’t which means I’ve been saying it wrong for the worry too much about what the future would last 20 years. Great. bring back then.’

Anyway. Bob Moog is appearing alongside What the future brought was experimental Jean-Jacques Perrey, one of the pioneers of classical music, prog rock, disco, new wave, electronic music in the 60s, for a handful of electronica, Krautrock, electroclash and many triptych events, and thoroughly enthralling more genres all built around Moog’s invention. evenings they’ll undoubtedly be. Things really took off in the 60$, something

‘Basically, I’ll describe the work that I did Moog puts down not only to advances in from 1964 until 1971 during which the Moog technology, but to cultural upheaval. synthesiser was developed,’ says Moog. ‘In ‘What happened back then, it was more than that time it went from being an experimental just transistors and knobs, it was a whole instrument for academic composers to being culture going off the deep end and going into something that rock musicians used all over areas where experimentation was highly the world.’ valued,’ he says.

Indeed it did. Moog began his lifelong And with a lifetime spent deeply involved with obsession with inventing and building musical musical instruments, surely Moog has dabbled instruments in the 40s, making Theremins (you in creating his own tunes in the past? know, that antenna you wave your hands at ‘I try from time to time,’ he says. ‘But let’s and it sounds like Star Trek) from a do-it- just say that I’m not a musician. My talent is . yourself pamphlet. By 1954 he was selling definitely as an instrument designer and I j home-made instruments, making this his 50th builder.’ (Doug Johnstone) There’s a boffin in the offin’

When Arto Lindsay went downtown. it was love/lust at first sight. These days New York's sweaty. messy. cherry- popping but oh-so-cerebral No Wave scene has 8m tribute bands creaming themselves with onanistic jitterfunk anticipation. inspired by St Vitus as much as CBGBs. For Lindsay. remembering the first time means the sticky sounds of DNA. three skinny-ass freaks jacked-up on hormones dry- humping the floor while Lindsay primal screamed the feeling at 100 miles an hour thrum'n‘throb.

These days. as an older man, he's understandably calmed down. The sex. however. sounds better than ever. Lindsay's rhythm method leaves nothing to chance. An American who grew up in Brazil, he

48 THE LIST 29 Apr—13 May 2004

Sleazy but easy

developed his libido at the height of the 60s Tropicalia scene. though his stint as a nude model in the Eighth Street art school where Morton Feldman lectured probably helped too. After stints with John Lurie's L0unge Lizards and Anton Fier's Golden Palominos. he got back to his roots with his own Ambitious Lovers. whose three albums. Envy. Greed. and Lust buried themselves in Latin bump'n'grind.

Production-wise. Lindsay only jumped in the sack with the best. You want incest? How about David Byrne. Laurie Anderson. John Zorn, Ryuchi Sakamoto and Brian Eno. Dirty- talking up Prince and Marvin Gaye became second nature. and even more wet dreams came true when he hooked up with the old Tropicalia guys from his old ‘hood. Music for head. butt. crotch and feet. from a sex machine who always comes first. Phew. (Neil Cooper)

Reggae has a couple of mainstream figur‘elieads '1 Bob Marley arr:1.li'::'n‘, (Elli. but beyond the crossover stars there are a number of classic L'lllt)‘.’{ll(>"f; l : flit;- genre. One of these is the inimitable l)r Aiiriiaiitado. Born .la'rzes \'.':r:st::~'i Thompson in the deprived part of Kingston. .Jai'iaic' .'l 19:51). his early. {.(Eélz'fé xxere spent hanging about recording studios rookiig to: a tweak. f;;)"-l(‘:'.l‘ll‘i§) .‘xl‘icl: eventually happened when a certain rege'idavj, l(;-(:- Scratcru' Peri}, gayr: l‘L'Yi a Chance and enlisted him to rap on a record. A feu'.’ years late' A; ina'tado set up his own record label. Vital Food. and proxed to be a .'.'::rtl"l. :l't;;:::;le of Perry.

hits in the UK where Alirnantado came to me as, 3.13.? as r: l‘..fl, l‘t,"l‘(‘: artzi l'l tl‘e 70s. and featured the likes of Gregor“, Isaacs and Horace Alli}, he'rxrg on: (in vocal duties. linmensely popular ‘.'.’lll‘i ti".een1erg-::-'1I purik bands of Me tsii‘e ike the Clash and the Sex Pistols. Dr Alirnantado t)"()‘.’<}(l :c be a High pctxilzir fg..re in the London scene and a Vita. musical force tliroagliout that decade. lr‘ recent times he might not be the creative force ."~(? once nuns. but there‘s; no (l<>tll>i a legend is still coming to town. il)oug .l()lll‘if;l()l‘t?~